Multiple container package and carrier device



Aug. 16, 1960 J. V. FISHER MULTIPLE! CONTAINER PACKAGE AND CARRIER DEVICE Filed Oct 8, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR. (fay/v V'LFW sfi/EQ,

Z/wpiu lrrapuey Aug. 16, 1960 Y J. v. FISHER 2 493 MULTIPLE CONTAINER PACKAGE AND CARRIER DEVICE Filed'Oct. 8, 1956 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 $0.8 v a; r 5 f m 52. .I-/q k4, m J4 4; 2i 3 19 ,1, I [Tfi L 1 -19 Ji e. 11.

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IA/rewroe ticability of the device.

portion to release the container.

of the device which was described specifically in appli- United States Patent MULTIPLE CONTAINER PACKAGE AND CARRIER DEVICE John V. Fisher, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor of twenty percent to Larry Crosby, Los Angeles, Calif., and twenty percent to Kenneth M. Crawford, San Marino, Calif.; Constance M. Fisher, administratrix of said John V. Fisher, deceased Filed Oct. 8, 1956, s... No. 614,720

18 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) This invention relates to improved carriers for holding a number of metal cans or similar containers, and to packages utilizing said carriers, to form a convenient carry-home package of several (say, two, four or six) cans or-containers of beer, soft drinks, food, or the like. The carriers and packages of the present invention are improvements on the disclosure of my'co-pending application Serial No. 614,719, filed October 8, 1956, on Multiple Container Package, Carrier Device, and Packaging Method. The novelty residing in the method of assembling the present package is claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 614,721, now abandoned, filed of even date herewith on Method of Assembling a Mulcarrier of flexible sheet material which is so cut that when the material is bent in a predetermined manner it forms a releasable lock with the upper peripheral bead of the can, to gripthe bead in holding relation until the material is bent backward toward its original condition. More specifically, the sheet material has, associated with each can or container, a vertical portion which fits against the side of the can beneath its upper bead, and an upper portion which is folded or turned horizontally over the top of the can, This upper portion carries a tab which is wedged tightly against the radially inner side of the bead by virtue of the folding motion of the device over the can, to thus form the desired releasable interlock.

The carriers of the present invention utilize essentially this same type of interlock with the cans, but embody certain additional features for vastly improving the prac- As will appear, a feature of prime importance to the present invention is the novel manner in which I releasably hold the folded portion of the carrier inits horizontally extending holding position, while still permitting easy returning movement of, that In the particular form cation Serial No. 343,468, the folded portion of the sheet material was secured against the top of the can by a suitable adhesive. In accordance with the present invention, however, the device is formed of a sheetmaterial which'itself has sufficient stiffness to remain in its horizontally folded or bent position solely by virtue of that stiffness, and without the necessity for. any adhesive or other securing means. This stiffness may be attained by forming the device of sheet metal, or of a suitable resinous plastic material or of any other appropriate material having the desired stiffness.

In a preferred form of the invention, the device holds 4 7 two parallel rows of containers, with the sheet material forming essentially two interconnected strips associated 2,949,183 Patented Aug. 16, 1960 "ice with the two rows respectively. These strips are desirably joined together along their lower edges by a lower portion of the device positioned between the two rows. A carrying handle may then be attached to this lower portion of the device. The lower portion may be interrupted opposite the points of engagement of the device with the cans, with the vertically extending can engaging portions of the sheet material being precurved to embrace the cans. The upper tab carrying portions of the device may be pre-bent to flare upwardly and outwardly over the cans, and may have the tabs projecting downwardly therefrom and curved arcuately in correspondence with the can bead which is to be engaged thereby.

The above and other features and objects of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the typical embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective-view of a first form of multiple can package formed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2'is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of attend portion of the Fig. 1 package;

.Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary vertical seetion taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the holder or carrier which is utilized in the Fig. 1 package, and showing the'carrier as it appears priorto its application or connection to the carried cans; I

Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse section taken on line 66 of Fig. 5; I

Fig. 7 is a view corresponding to Fig. 6 but showing the carrier as it appears after being bent into a position of connection to the cans;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the fiat sheet material blank from which the carrier of Figs. 1 to 7 isformed;

. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a multiple can package utilizing a second form of carrier embodying the invention;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary transverse section taken on line 10-10 of Fig. 9;'and

Fig. 11 shows the flat "sheet material blank from which the carrier of Figs. 9 and 10 is formed, and Fig. 12 represents'a third form of holder, with several such holders being shown in nested relation.

Referring first to Figs. 1 through 9, and particularly Fig. 1, the first form of package there shown includes six conventional metal cans 10, arranged in two parallel rows of three cans each, and held by a carrier 11including a one-piece body 12 and awire handle 13. i The body 12 is formed of a fairly stiff sheet material, which may be sheet metal or the like, or, as will be discussed more fully at a later point in this description, may be a resinous plastic material, desirably shaped and applied under heat. As will be understood, the cans 10 may con tain any of the conventional canned products, suchas soft drinks, beer, food, etc. Each can has the usual vertical cylindrical side wall 14, a horizontal top wall '15 having a peripheral cylindrical bead 16, and a horizontal bottom wall (not shown) having a peripheral bead 17. As seen clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, the top head 16 projects upwardly a substantial distance beyond top wall 15, and also projects laterally a substantial distance beyond the cylindrical side wall 14 of the can. It will of course be understood that the cans 10 are of substantially rigid construction, to retain the illustrated configuration.

The two rows of cans are in closely spaced relation as seen in Fig. l. The strip of sheet material 12 forming o the body of carrier 11 is deformed to the configuration 3 rows of cans, and to partially project upwardly and latcrally over the tops of the cans in the two rows.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 5, the carrier body 12 has two spaced vertical side portions 18 extending in essentially parallel relation and received between the two rows of cans. These two vertical portions 18 of the element 12 are joined together at their lower edges by four horizontal portions of that element 12, lying in a common horizontal plane, the four portions including two short portions 19 at opposite ends of body 12, and two intermediate somewhat longer portions 20. Between these four bottom wall portions 19 and 20' of element 12, this part contains three somewhat elongated apertures 21 extending longitudinally of part 12.

The two portions 20 of body 12 contain a pair of slots 22 which are slightly elongated longitudinally of body 12 and within which the opposite ends of the substantially wire handle member 13 are received. These opposite ends 23 of the handle member are hooked slightly upwardly, as seen in Fig. 5, to engage the underside of portions 20 of body 12 in a manner allowing the body 12 and connected cans to be lifted by handle member 13.

When the handle 13 is not in use, it falls downwardly to the position represented in Figs. and 6, in which the upper horizontal portion of handle 13 is received just slightlyabove the upper edges of top beads 16 of the cans. In order to limit downward movement of handle 13 relative to body part 12 in this Figs. 5 and 6 position, the handle may have two inclined portions 24 which engage the inner ends of slots 22 in that handle position, to prevent further downward movement of the handle.

At the location of each of the three apertures 21 in the bottom wall 1920 of body 12, the vertical portions 18 of body 12 form two vertical strips 25 which engage two of the cans 10. Immediately above these strips 25, element 12 contains horizontally elongated slots 26 for receiving the inner portions of the top beads of the six cans, respectively. The strips 25 are curved essentially arcuately or cylindrically inwardly, essentially in correspondence with the curvatures of the side walls 14 of the cans 10, and are received directly against those side walls (see Fig. 4) beneath the laterally projecting top beads 16 of the cans. Each of the strips 25 has an upper horizontally extending arcuate edge 27, which is received substantially directly beneath the lower edge of the bead 16 of a corresponding can. Except at the locations of the curved strips 25, the two vertical side portions 18 of body 12 are parallel one to the other.

The vertical portions 18 of body 12 are bent upwardly relative to bottom horizontal walls 19 and 20 along two parallel horizontal hinge lines 28. At the upper edges of the two vertical portions- 19 of member 12, this part is bent along two upper parallel horizontal hinge lines 29, beyond which the sheet material of part 12 forms two portions 30 which flare upwardly and outwardly in opposite directions over the two rows of cans respectively, as seen clearly in Fig. 6. The material which is cut to form slots 26 is left attached at its upper edge to these portions 30 of body parts 12, and is then turned or bent angularly downwardly and outwardly (perpendicular to the inclined portion 30 by which it is carried), to form six tabs 31 which are engageable with the radially inner cylindrical surfaces 32 of the beads of the various cans 10, to form interlocks with the cans. Each of these tabs 31 is curved arcuately in a plane parallel to the flat inclined portion 30 by which it is carried, and the arcuate curvature of the tab corresponds to the arcuate curvature of the radially inner surface 32 of the engaged top head of an associated can. By virtue of its manner of formation, each tab 31 is of somewhat greater axial extent at its two opposite ends 33 than at the central location 34 between those ends.

The slots 26 are considerably longer horizontally than vertically, to engage a somewhat extended portion of the top bead 16 of each of the cans 10. The bottom hori- 4 zontal edgk of each slot 26 defined by the upper edge 27 of the corresponding can engaging strip 25, is spaced horizontally beneath the hinge or fold line 29 a distance corresponding substantially to the vertical thickness of the top bead 16 of the engaged can. The opposite ends of the slot are defined by two edges 35 lying in vertical planes, with these edges and slots extending upwardly beyond hinge line 29 and into the inclined upper portions 30 of body part 12. The tabs 31 are formed at a location such that they will bear tightly outwardly against the inner surfaces of beads 16 in the assembled condition of the package.

Referring now to Fig. 8, I have there shown a fiat sheet material blank which has been cut as required for the formation of my carrier or holder body 12, but which has not as yet been bent to the Fig. 5 condition. As seen in Fig. 8, the entire body 12 is formed of an elongated strip of material, which is cut out at three locations to form the three spaced apertures 21 and the four bottom wall portions 19 and 20. Also, the slots 22 are cut out as shown, and the three pairs of tabs 31 and slots 26 are formed by cutting the blank along the U-shaped lines represented at 31a in Fig. 8. The blank of Fig. 8 may then be folded along hinge lines 28 and 29, and along the arcuate hinge lines 35 to form tabs 31. After bending the body 12 to the Fig. 5 condition, handle 13 is applied to body 12 by holding the two ends 23 of the handle close enough together to pass downwardly through slots 22, and then allowing these ends 23 to spread apart as a result of the resilience of wire handle 13 itself, to assure retention of the handle to body 12.

With body 12 and handle 13 assembled to form the carrier device, this device may be applied to the cans to form the complete package of Fig. 1. To apply the carrier, the cans 10 are first arranged in two rows of three cans each, as shown, following which the lower portions 18, 19 and 20 or body 12 are slipped downwardly between the two rows to the positions illustrated in the figures. The two oppositely flaring inclined portions 30 of body 12 are then bent downwardly along hinge lines 29 from the positions illustrated in Fig. 6 to the horizontally extending positions of Fig. 7. This downward swinging movement of portions 30 of body part 12 brings tabs 31 against the radially inner surfaces 32 of beads 16, and causes these tabs 31 to be wedged very tightly against surfaces 32 and to similarly pull strips 25 against the outer cylindrical side walls 14 of the cans. Thus, an extremely effective interlock is formed between beads 16 and body 12, to prevent separation of any of the cans from body 12 as long as portions 30 remain in their horizontally extending Fig. 4 positions.

The material of which body 12 is formed has sulficient stiffness to remain in the Fig. 4 interlocked condition, with upper portions 30 extending horizontally and substantially parallel to the top walls 15 of the cans, solely by virtue of the stiffness of the sheet material, and without the necessity for any other means of holding portions 32 in their bent positions. Under present conditions relating to the costs of various materials, it is preferred that part 20 be formed of sheet metal, and typically thin sheet steel, though it will be aparent that, if desired, other similar stiff but bendable sheet materials, or a laminated combination of materials, might be employed. For instance, I may, if desired, use a suitable resinous plastic material, as long as the material has suflicient stiffness to remain in the discussed attached condition. If a plastic is employed, it may be a thermoplastic material, as for instance a stiff vinyl chloride resin, an acrylic resin such as methyl methacrylate (Lucite), or polystyrene. The process of forming and applying such a plastic element may include the steps of first shaping the plastic body under heat to the Fig. 5 form, then placing the body in the Fig. 6 position, then heating it along hinge lines 29 sufliciently to partially soften those hinge areas, then bending portions 30 to the Fig. 4 positions, and finally allowing the body to cool and harden and remain in the Fig. 4 position. The heating-should be sufiicient to allow permanent bending of the body to the Fig. 4 condition, with no tendency for return to the Fig. 5 position, but should not be at a high enough temperature to destroy the general shape of portions 30 or tabs 31 or to damage the body along hinge lines 29. The plastic, of course, must be sufliciently flexible, even when cooled and hardened, to allow upward distortion of portions 30 far enough to permit removal of the cans from the holder.

After the package has been assembled as shown in Fig. 1, it can easily be handled in stores, markets and the like, and provides a very. easily transported carryhome package. To carry the package, the user merely pulls upwardly on handle 13, to raise it to the Fig. 1 position, following which the entire package can be easily carried by the handle; When it is desired to remove one of the cans from the holder 11, a user merely pulls the can in a manner causing its lower end to swing outwardly and upwardly away from the corresponding can at the other side of holder 11, so that this swinging movement of the can bends the engaged portion of one of the portions 30 of body 12 upwardly toward its original Fig. 6

Figs. 9 to ll show a second form of the invention,

I which is very similar to that of Figs. 1 to 8, except that the second form of device is formedfrom an elongated sheet material blank such as that shown in Fig. 11, this blank being formed of sheet metal, plastic formed under heat, or other suitable sheet' material, and being of a length twice as great as the blank shown inFig. 8. The Fig. 11 blank is folded at two vertical fold lines 36, which are at substantially the center longitudinally of the blank. The fold at each of the lines 36 is a right angle fold, so that the two portions 37 of the blank extend parallel to each other, and at right angles to the end portion 38 between fold lines 36.

At one of its ends, the blank of Fig. 11 has a tab 39 which is adapted to be received within a slit 40 formed in a tab 41 at the opposite end of the blank (tab 41 being turned at right angles to portion 37 along hinge line 42). Tab 39 is bent (see Fig. 9) after passage through slit 40, to retain the two portions 37 in mutually parallel rather closely spaced relation, so that these portions 37 and 38 may be received between and engage two rows of cans 10 in the same manner as portions 18 of the Fig. 5' device. The interlock between portions 37 and the cans is the same as in Figs. l to 8, being effected by six tabs 43 cut from portions 37 of the Fig. 11 blank in a manner forming slots for reception of the upper peripheral beads of the cans. As in the case of the Figs. 1 to 8 device, the portions 37 of the Figs. 9 to 11 device are turned to oppositely inclined positions by folding along horizontal hinge lines represented at 44, which extend through the bead receiving slots 45. If desired, the upper portions of the sheet material which are to be bent over the various cans may be divided into six different portions 37a, as shown, for attachment to the six cans respectively. Also the handles 46 may be stamped from the sheet material itself, rather than being separately formed and attached.

To now discuss the method of application of the Figs. 9-11 device to the cans, assume first that the device is in the condition of Fig. 9 except that the upper parts 37a which are eventually folded horizontally are forms interlocks with the cans of the same type attained 6 in Figs. 1 to 8. The package thus formed maybe carried by handles 46. When it is desired to stack two or more packages one on top of the other, the handles 46 of each package may be folded oppositely to lie horizontally over the tops of the .two rows respectivelyof the cans (where the holder is formed of sheet metal or similar bendable material), so that the package presents an essentially horizontal. upper surface. The cans are I except that the Fig. 12 device is in certain respects especially designed to allow vertical nesting of a series of the bodies 12a one within the other, to facilitate handling and shipping. More specifically, the portions 18a of 'Fig. 12 (corresponding to portions 18 and 25 of Figs. 1 to 8) do not extend exactly vertically, but rather the portions 18a at one side of the device converge gradually downwardly relative to the corresponding portions at the opposite side of the device. Also, the portions 18a are not curved inwardly at the locations of portions 25 in Figs. 1 to 8, but instead lie in the same planes as the rest of the portions 18a (being subsequently .bent to curve around the cans during application to the cans). Except for these specified differences, the Fig. 12 device may be substantially identical with that of Figs. 1 to 8.

By virtue of the downward convergence of the pertions 18a in Fig. 12, these portions 18a of a first body will fit downwardly between the portions 18a of the next lower body 12a. When a series of bodies 12a are in vertically nested relation as seen in Fig. 12, each of the bodies 12a above the bottom one is supported onthe next lower body by engagement of the downturned tabs 31a of the upper body with the upper surfaces of flaring portions 30:: of the next lower body 12a. In this connection, it is noted that the engagement of tabs 31a of the'upper body with portions 30a of the lower body is at a point higher than the tabs 31a of the lower body, so that one of the bodies 12a can slide horizontally relative to the other out of its nested position in the stack.

I claim:

1. A package comprising a plurality of containers each having a vertically extending side wall and a top 'wall and each having an upstanding and laterally projecting peripheral bead at the upper end of the container about said top wall, and a holder individually attached to-said containers and securing them together as a unit, said holder being formed of sheet material having, associated with each container, a first portion extending essentially vertically along said side wall of the container and a second portion integrally connected to said first portion and bent relativethereto at a predetermined hinge location to a position extending across the top of the container generally parallel to said top wall to a location radially inwardly gbeyond said bead, said sheet material having a cut formed therein defining a slot at approximately said hinge location, said head of the associated container having .a portion projecting laterally through said slot and beyond said side wallof the container, said first vertically extending portion of the sheet material having an upper edge defining the bottom of said slot and positioned under said portion of .the bead whichprojects through the slot, said cut which forms the slot being shaped to form a tab from said sheet material which is connected to said second portion of the sheet material and is forced tightly against the radially inner side of said bead by virtue of the bending of the second portion toward said container top wall to said position across the package, solely by the stiffness of the material and without being otherwise secured in said position, said tab and said first portion of the holder being constructed to prevent detachment of the container from the holder except by relative deformation of said tab and said first portion against the resistance offered by said stiffness of the sheet material.

2. A package as recited in claim 1, in which said sheet material is a sheet metal having the defined stiffness.

3. A package as recited in claim 1, in which said sheet material is a resinous plastic material.

4. A holder to be attached to and hold together a plurality of containers each having a vertically extending side wall and a top wall and each having an upstanding and laterally projecting peripheral bead at the upper end of the container extending about said top wall; said holder being formed of a piece of sheet material having, for association with each container, a first portion to be positioned adjacent said side wall of the container and a second portion integrally connected to said first portion at a predetermined hinge location for relative bending swinging movement downwardly toward said top of the container to a position in which said second portion will extend'across the top of the container generally parallel to said top wall to a location radially inwardly beyond the bead, said sheet material having a cut therein defining a slot at approximately said hinge location and which is open to projection of a portion of said bead laterally through the slot, said first vertically extending portion of the sheet material having an upper edge defining the bottom of said slot and positioned for reception under the bead as the latter projects through the slot, said out which defines said slot being shaped to form a tab from said sheet material which remains connected to said second portion of the sheet material for swinging movement therewith and which is positioned to be forced tightly against the radially inner side of said bead by virtue of said swinging movement of said second portion toward the container top wall to thereby retain said first portion of the sheet material tightly against said side wall of the container, said sheet material being sufficiently stiff at said hinge location to retain said second portion thereof in said bent position generally parallel to the container top wall, during carrying of the holder and containers, solely by the stiffness of the material and without being otherwise secured in said position, said tab and said first portion of the sheet material being constructed to prevent detachment of the container from the holder except by relative deformation of said tab and said first portion against the resistance offered by said stiffness of the sheet material.

5. A holder as recited in claim 4, in which said sheet material is a sheet metal having the defined stiffness.

6. A holder as recited in claim 4, in which said second portion of the sheet material is pre-bent to an oblique angularity with respect to said vertical portion to initially extend angularly upwardly and outwardly over the top of a container and then be bent downwardly into holding engagement with the container.

7. A holder as recitedin claim 4, in which said sheet material is a resinous plastic material.

8. A holder to be attached to and hold together a plurality of containers each having a vertically extending side wall and a top wall and each having an upstanding and laterally projecting peripheral bead at its upper end; said holder being formed of sheet material having, for association with each container, a first portion to be positioned adjacent and extend vertically along said side wall of the container and a second portion integrally connected to said first portion at a predetermined hinge location for relative bending movement toward said top of the container to a position in which said second portion will extend across the top of the container generally parallel to said top wall to a location radially inwardly beyond the bead, said sheet material having a cut therein defining a slot at approximately said hinge location through which said bead of the associated container will project laterally beyond said side wall of the container to a location directly overlying an upper edge of said first vertically extending portion of the sheet material, said cut which defines the slot being shaped to form a tab from said sheet material which remains connected to said second portion of the sheet material for swinging movement therewith and which is positioned to be forced tightly against the radially inner side of said bead by virtue of said swinging movement of said second portion toward the container top wall to thereby retain said first portion of the sheet material tightly against said side wall of the container, said sheet material being a single piece of sheet metal, forming two interconnected strips to be attached to and carry two parallel rows respectively of containers, said strips being adapted to extend vertically between the rows and then over the tops of the two rows of containers to form said first and second portions of the sheet material associated with the different containers, said sheet material having a lower portion extending-between and interconnecting said strips along their lower edges between the two rows.

9. A package comprising a plurality of containers each having a vertically extending side wall and a top wall and each having an upstanding and laterally projecting peripheral bead at the upper end of the container about said top wall, and a holder individually attached to said containers and securing them together as a unit, said holder being formed of sheet material having, associated with each container, a first portion extending essentially vertically along said side wall of the container and a second portion integrally connected to said first portion and bent relative thereto at a predetermined hinge location to a position extending across the top of the container generally parallel to said top wall to a location radially init ardly beyond said bead, said sheet material having a cut formed therein defining a slot at approximately said hinge location, said bead of the associated container having a portion projecting laterally through said slot and beyond said side wall of the container, said first vertically extending portion of the sheet material having an upper edge defining the bottom of said slot and positioned under said portion of the bead which projects through the slot, said cut which forms the slot being shaped to form a tab from said sheet material which is connected to said second portion of the sheet material and is forced tightly against the radially inner side of said bead by virtue of the bending of the second portion toward said container top wall to said position across the top of the container, and which thereby locks the container in the holder, said sheet material being sufficiently stifi to retain said second portion thereof in said essentially horizontally bent position, during carrying of the package, solely by the stiffness of the material and without being otherwise secured in said position, said tab and said first portion of the holder being constructed to prevent detachment of the container from the holder except by relative deformation of said tab and said first portion against the resistance offered by said stiffness of the sheet material, said containers being arranged in two rows, said sheet material comprising a single sheet of material forming two interconnected strips thereof associated with the two rows respectively and extending vertically between the rows and then bent along hinge lines to extend horizontally over the tops of the rows to form said vertical and horizontal portions associated with the different containers, said sheet mate rial having a lower portion extending between and interconnecting said strips along their lower edges between the containers.

10. A package as recited in claim 9, including a handle for carrying the holder attached to and projecting upwardly from said bottom portion of the sheet material.

11. A package as recited in claim 10, in which said bottom portion of the sheet material is cut away at loca tions at which said vertical portions of the sheet material engage the containers to thereby allow curvature of said vertical portions'about the containers.

12. A holder to be attached to and hold together a plurality of containers each having a vertically extending side wall and a top wall and each having an upstanding and laterally projecting peripheral bead at the upper end of the container extending about said top wall; said holder being formed of a piece of sheet material having,

-in defining a slot at approximately said hinge location through which said bead of the associated container will project laterally beyond said side wall of the container to a location directly overlying an upper edge, of said first portion of the sheet material, said cut whichdefines said slot being shaped to form a tab from said sheet material which remains connected to said second portion of the sheet material for swinging movement therewith and which is positioned to be forced tightly against the radially inner side of said head by virtue oi said swinging movement of said second portion toward the of in said bent position generally parallel to the con-.

tainertop wall, during carrying of the holder andcontainers, solely by the stifiness of the material and without being otherwise secured in said position, said tab and said first portion of the sheet material being constructed to prevent detachment of the container from the holder except by relative deformation of said tab and said first portion against the resistance ofiered by said stiffness of the sheet material, said tab being prebent to an arcuate curvature corresponding substantially to the curvature of the bead.

14. A holder to be attached to and hold together a plurality of containers each having a vertically extending side wall and a top wall and each having an upstanding and laterally projecting peripheral bead at the'upper end of the container extending about said top wall; said holder being formed of a piece of sheet material having, for association with each container, a first portion to be positionedadjaccnt said side wall of the container and a second portion integrally connected to saidfirst por tion at a predetermined hinge location for relative bending swinging movement downwardly toward said top of container top wall to thereby retain said first portion of the sheet material tightly against said side wall of the container, said sheet material being sufficiently stilt at said hinge location to retain said second portion thereof in said bent position generally parallel to the container top wall, during-carrying of the holder and containers, solely by the stifiness of the material and without being otherwise secured in said position, said taband said first portion of the sheet material being constructed to prevent detachment of the container from the holder except by relative deformation of said tab and said first portion aganist the resistance offered by said stiflfness of the sheet material, said tab being pre-bent to project generally perpendicularly from said second portion of the sheet material in a direction to projectdownwardly when said second portion is horizontal and thus engage the bead over an extended area.

13. A holderto be attached to and hold together a plurality of containers ea'ch'having a vertically extending side wall and a top wall and each having an upstanding and laterally projecting peripheral bead at the upperend of the container extending about said top wall;said holder being formed of a piece'of sheet material having, for association with each container, a first portion to be positioned adjacent said side Wall of the container and a second portion integrally connected to said first portion at a predetermined hinge location for relative bending swinging movement downwardly toward said top of the container to a position in which said second portion will extend across the top of the container generally parallel to said top wall to a location radially inwardly beyond the bead, said sheet material having a cut therein defining a slot at approximately said hinge location through which said bead of the associated container will project laterally beyond said side wall of the container to a location directly overlying an upper edge of said first portion of the sheet material, said cut which defines" said slot being shaped to form'a tab fromsaid sheet material which remains connected to said second portion of the sheet material for swinging movement therewith and which is positioned to be forced tightly against the radially inner side of said bead by virtue'of said swinging movement of said second portion toward the container top wall to thereby retain said first portion the container to a position in which said second portion will extend across the top of the container generally.

of the sheet material for swinging movement therewith and which is positioned to be forced tightly against the radially inner side of said bead by virtue of said swing: ing movement of said second portion toward the container top wall to thereby retain said first portion of the sheet material tightly against said side wall of the container, said sheet material being suificiently stiff at said hingelocation to retain said second portion thereof in said bent position generally parallel to the container top wall, during carrying of the holder and containers, solely by the stiffness of the material and without being otherwise secured-in said position, said tab and said first portion of the sheet material being constructed to prevent detachment of the container from the holder except by relative deformation of said tab and said first portion against the resistance offered'by said stiffness of the sheet material, said sheet material being a single piece of sheet material forming two interconnected strips to be attached to and carry two parallel rows respectively of containers, said strips being adapted to extend vertically between the rows and then over the tops er the two rows of containers to form said first and second portions of the sheet material associated with the differ: ent containers, said sheet material having a lower por tion extending between and interconnecting said strips along their lower edges between the two rows.

15. A holder as recited in claim 14, in which the portions of said strips which carry said tabs are flared upwardly and' outwardly in opposite directions to be received over the containers and then be bent downwardly theretoward, said tabs being pie-bent downwardly and to essentially the curvature of the container beads.

16. A holder as recited in claim 15, including a handle attached to and projecting upwardly from said lower portion of the sheet material. I i

17. A holder as recited in claim 14, in which said vertically extending portions of the sheet material are curved essentially arcuately at the point of engagement of the sheet material tightly against said side wall of with the containers to embrace the containers, and

bottom portion of the sheet material is cut away at the References Cited in the file of this patent locations Of said curvature. UNITED STATES PATENTS 18. A holder as recited in claim 14, in which said sheet material is a single piece of sheet material formfi 1916 ing two interconnected strips to be attached to and carry 5 60 ct June 1943 two parallel rows respectively of containers, said strips Hams June 1950 being adapted to extend vertically between the rows and 'gigg Hennessey May 1951 then over the tops of the two rows of containers to form 33 fiz g fgg g? said first and second portions of the sheet material asso- 21,165,073 Murray ll"?-"ZZZTLZ- Oct. 1956 ciated with the different containers, said sheet material 10 interconnecting said two strips at their opposite ends. 218371803 woouon June 10, 1958 

